INDIA, Jan. 26, 2020 —​ Today, ​Tripadvisor​®​, the world’s largest travel platform, released its annual Travellers’ Choice®​ ​Best of the Best Awards for Destinations, highlighting ​Popular, Trending, ​and Emerging Destinations​ around the world, as well as a new category for 2021: ​National Parks​. The awards are based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings for accommodations, restaurants, and things to do in destinations worldwide on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period.

The awards reveal where travellers ventured in 2020, while travel was still open, as well as where they dreamed of going while the pandemic kept them stuck at home.​ With travel restrictions in place for much of the year, travellers explored the world very differently — they took more local trips closer to home and favored outdoor spots. According to a recent survey of Tripadvisor travellers, more than half (52%) say they are more likely to take an outdoor or nature trip than they were before the pandemic1​ ​. As a result, many of the destinations in India featured on the Travellers’ Choice Popular Destinations for 2021 are those known for its beaches, parks, and beautiful gardenscapes. ​New Delhi​, a city blessed with iconic gardens and botanical houses, is ranked number 7 on the Asia Popular Destinations for 2021 list and number 15 on the World list. In the inaugural National Parks 2021 list, the ​Jim Corbett National Park is ranked number two in the world and ​Bandhavgarh National Park ​came in at number 13.

“Alongside the latest vaccine developments, pent-up demand is prompting the world to think more about travel in 2021,” said Christine Maguire, vice president and general manager, global media business at Tripadvisor. “But one result of the pandemic may be the destinations they’re interested in. In fact, a recent survey revealed that 74% of travellers will spend more time selecting a destination when planning their next trip2​ ​. If you’re like me and already imagining your first post-vaccine vacation, this list of travellers' favorite destinations can serve as your inspiration.”

Top 10 National Parks in the World

When indoor activities shuttered in 2020, travellers headed to the great outdoors. Here are their favorite National Parks around the world.

1. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

2. Jim Corbett National Park, India

3. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

4. Grand Teton National Park, Wyo., United States

5. Kruger National Park, South Africa

6. Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica

7. Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz., United States

8. Zion National Park, Utah, United States

9. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

10. Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

11. Yorkshire Dales National Park, United Kingdom

12. Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania

13. Bandhavgarh National Park, India

14. Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

15. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam

Check out the full list of the top National Parks in the world here:

www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-NationalParks

Top 15 Popular Destinations in the World
Popular Destinations ​include​ ​the locations that travellers raved about most on Tripadvisor in the past year, comprising iconic world cities.

1. Bali, Indonesia

2. London, United Kingdom

3. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

4. Rome, Italy

5. Paris, France

6. Hanoi, Vietnam

7. Crete, Greece

8. Bangkok, Thailand

9. Barcelona, Spain

10. Istanbul, Turkey

11. Hoi An, Vietnam

12. Siem Reap, Cambodia

13. Marrakech, Morocco

14. Phuket, Thailand

15. New Delhi, India

Check out the full list of Popular Destinations including the Asia list here: www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations​.

Top 10 Trending Destinations in the World
Trending Destinations ​recognize destinations that saw the biggest increase in a combination of positive ratings and reviews over the last year.

1. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

2. Corsica, France

3. Doha, Qatar

4. Sanya, China

5. Gatlinburg, Tenn., United States

6. Queenstown, New Zealand

7. Tulum, Mexico

8. Natal, Brazil

9. Kas, Turkey

10. Guadeloupe, Carribean

Check out the full list of the world’s top Trending Destinations here:

www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-TrendingDestinations

Top 10 Emerging Destinations in the World
Emerging Destinations​ showcase the spots with the greatest year-over-year increase in “saves” on Tripadvisor around the world. Different from the other categories, which highlight where travellers have already visited, the Emerging list identifies where they want to visit. These are the destinations travellers were dreaming of while they were stuck at home all year — and where they may go next.

1. Martinique, Carribean

2. Panama City Beach, Fla., United States

3. Armacao dos Buzios, Brazil

4. Holbox Island, Mexico

5. St Ives, United Kingdom

6. Mazatlan, Mexico

7. Colorado Springs, Colo., United States

8. Shoalhaven, Australia

9. Wroclaw, Poland

10. Mudgee, Australia

Check out the full list of top Emerging Destinations in the world here:

www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-EmergingDestinations

Methodology

The Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Destinations honor travellers’ favorite destinations worldwide based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from Tripadvisor travellers for accommodations, restaurants, and things to do in destinations worldwide over a 12-month period (December 1, 2019 through November 30, 2020).

• ●  The​ Popular​ ​Destinations​ category honors the locations that are the most popular among Tripadvisor reviewers. The methodology takes into account quality and volume of reviews to surface destinations that consistently deliver the best overall experience for travellers.

• ●  The​ Trending​ ​Destinations​ category honors the locations that showed the greatest year-over-year increase in a combination of positive traveller reviews and ratings for accommodations, restaurants, and things to do on Tripadvisor.

• ●  The ​Emerging Destinations ​category honors the locations that showed the greatest year-over-year increase in “saves” for accommodations, restaurants and things to do on Tripadvisor. Travellers can "save" their travel ideas and plans on Tripadvisor by tapping the heart icon on places to stay, restaurants, and things to do. Saves is a great indicator of what travellers are interested in doing in the future, as opposed to what they have done or are booking now.

• ●  The​ National Parks​ category honors the scenic and historically significant parks that are the most popular among Tripadvisor reviewers, according to traveller reviews and ratings for accommodations, restaurants, and things to do.

  Note to Editor

1. Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of up to 2,400 consumers per survey, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted approximately every two weeks from 3/27/20 through 10/21/20 across six countries - U.S., UK, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan.

2. Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of 2,330 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between 12/28/20 through 1/10/21 across six countries - U.S., UK, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan.